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Structure
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Hierarchical. Cabinet secretaries help manage the bureaucracy. The 15 departments are directed by cabinet secretaries. Agencies divide department goals and workload. They're also called divisions, bureaus, offices, services, administrations, and boards.
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Each Department
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State, treasury, defense, interior, agriculture, justice, commerce, labor, veterans affairs, health and human services, housing and urban development, transportation, energy, homeland security
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Agency Heads
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Each cabinet and executive agency has one head. Independent commissions have a body/board with 5-7 members. These members have staggered terms to make sure the president can't replace all of them with his people.
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Tasks
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Writing and enforcing regulations (administer law), enforcement and fines (punish disobeyers)(compliance monitoring is making sure firms and companies follow industry regulations, standards, and provisions), testifying before congress.
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Iron Triangles
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The relationship between the bureaucracy, congressional committees, and interest groups. Congress rely on expert opinion and info from the bureaucracy who then fund and guide the bureaucracy. Interest groups press agendas with agencies. and the agencies consider them in their regulations. Interest groups give electoral support and expert testimony to congress who gives friendly legislation back.
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Spoils System and Patronage
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Bureaucracy started as a place to reward loyal party leaders with jobs, called patronage. When that became too violent, the spoils system was made where presidents appointed regional and local postmasters in the many offices across the nation for their loyalty.
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Civil Service Reform
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Morality was questioned on the spoils system and people wanted it dismantled. When President Garfield was murdered after denying a spoil, the Pendleton Service Act was passed.
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Pendleton Service Act
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Prevents constant reward to loyal party system. Created the merit system and civil service commission.
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Merit System
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People had to earn their jobs fairly via stuff like exams.
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Civil Service Commission
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Bipartisan commission to oversee the process of giving bureaucracy jobs. Prevented officials from requiring federal employees to contribute to political campaigns.
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Civil Service Reform Act
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Altered how a bureaucrat is dismissed, limited preference for veterans to balance genders, and put upper-level appointments back in the president's hands. Promoted merit and performance.
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Office of Personal Management
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Replacement for the Civil Service Commission. Runs the merit system and coordinates the federal application process for jobs and hiring. Promoted ideals of public service, best person for federal job, and preserving merit system principles.
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National Performance Review
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Key document in assessing the federal bureaucracy. Identifies problems and offer solutions and ideas for government savings. Focused on diminishing paperwork burden and giving discretionary spending responsibility to the agencies.
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Delegated Discretionary Authority
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Power to interpret legislation and create rules given to executive departments and agencies. Congress leaves specific regulations for implementing policy to the bureaucracy. Sometimes an agency will just claim broad authority.
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Rule-Making Process
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Bureaucracies continually survey responsibilities and periodically create new rules and refine old ones. An outcry from the people to handle an issue or address a societal danger could cause rule changes.
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Administrative Procedures Act
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Guides agencies in developing their rules and procedures and assures that those citizens and industries affected by a policy can have input into shaping it, providing one of the access points for stakeholders to promote interests.
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Implementing the Law
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Executive branch has authority in creating agencies to pay subsidies, creating a system to distribute federal dollars going to states, and giving federal offices the ability to devise and enforce regulations.
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Independent Regulatory Agencies
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Unique charges from Congress to enforce or regulate industry-specific law. Can create specific regulates, issue fines, and other punishments. Sometimes structured with director and assistants some headed by board or commission led by a chair person. Include homeland security, transportation, veterans affairs, education, environmental protection agency, federal election commission, and securities and exchange commission.
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Congressional Oversight
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Congress has to assure the agencies and departments are carrying out law and doing it fairly. It's a check on the bureaucracy. Congress committees hold hearing to address agencies and their relationship with them.
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Spending Measures
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Agencies cannot spend public funds until a committee or subcommittee first passes authorization of spending measures. These state the maximum amount the agency can spend on certain programs. May be a one-time allotment or recurring annual allotment. Sometimes each houses appropriations committee and the full chamber have to approve the spending.
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President
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He exerts authority and influence to make sure their executive ideology is delivered by the bureaucrats. Bureaucrats can either be vehicles or obstacles for the president's goals. The review process is done through the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.
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Compliance Monitoring
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Making sure firms and companies subject to industry regulations are following those standards and provisions. The agency may assess and document compliance, require permits, collect evidence, etc.
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The Final Say
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Because congress and agencies share a good deal of authority, there is an unclear area of jurisdiction. Committee clearance (reviewing and approving agency actions in advance) is one method of sorting out overlap. The legislative veto can require certain agency decisions to wait for a defined period (30 or 90 days).
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Competition in the Executive
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The different beliefs or approaches of departments can create friction. They can make development of coherent goals challenging. If a federal employee sees corruption, they have to decide whether to report it (whistleblowing)(chance of reprisal and termination) or stay quite.
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Whistleblower Protection Act
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Prohibits a federal agency from retaliating or threatening an employee for disclosing illegal or dishonest acts within the agency.
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The Courts
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Courts get involved when citizens challenge federal bureaucratic decisions. Their actions are not always constitutional, fair, or practical and individuals have the right to take it through due process and review of law. Judicial review is another check on the bureaucracy. Most of those hearings are complicated interpretations of the law so they go to appeals courts. Typically agencies with more power that are higher are often more protected in court.
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Significant Agencies
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EOP, WHO, CEA, IRS, branches of the military, BATFE, FBI, USMS, NPS , BEA, NWS, OSHA, CDC, FDA, FHA, FEMA, ICE, TSA, CIA, EPA, EEOC, FCC, FTC, NASA, TVA, USPS, CBO, LOC
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